Wheels2U: Enhancing Transit Connections in Norwalk with On-Demand Technology
Company Size
1,000+
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Via's On-Demand Technology Platform
- Wheels2U Mobile Application
Tech Stack
- Mobile Application
- Dynamic Routing Software
- Live Phone Dispatch System
Implementation Scale
- Pilot projects
Impact Metrics
- Customer Satisfaction
- Digital Expertise
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
- Functional Applications - Fleet Management Systems (FMS)
- Networks & Connectivity - Cellular
Applicable Industries
- Cities & Municipalities
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
- Fleet Management
- Public Transportation Management
- Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
Services
- Data Science Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The Norwalk Transit District (NTD) is a public transportation provider serving the City of Norwalk, Connecticut. Established to enhance social mobility and economic viability, the NTD aims to provide efficient and reliable transit services to the community. The district operates a range of transit services, including fixed-route buses and on-demand transit solutions, to meet the diverse needs of commuters, visitors, shoppers, and diners. With a focus on reducing traffic congestion and improving accessibility, the NTD continuously seeks innovative solutions to enhance its service offerings and better connect key downtown locations and attractions.
The Challenge
In 2018, the Norwalk Transit District (NTD) launched 'Wheels2U,' an on-demand pilot service aimed at increasing public transit ridership and improving connections throughout Norwalk, Connecticut. Nine months into the pilot, the NTD sought to grow ridership and make service improvements. They decided to replace their previous on-demand transit technology provider with Via to better optimize operations and facilitate connections to key destinations in the city. The primary challenge was to reduce wait times and enhance the overall efficiency of the public transit system, addressing growing concerns over traffic and parking congestion.
The Solution
In August 2019, the NTD relaunched 'Wheels2U' with Via's state-of-the-art on-demand technology platform. The new solution included an easy-to-use mobile application that allowed riders to request trips in real time and track the location of their assigned vehicle. For riders without smartphones, live phone dispatchers were available to book trips on their behalf. Via's technology pooled passengers heading in the same direction into efficient shared rides and dynamically routed vehicles based on live demand patterns and traffic conditions. The service facilitated travel to key destinations in the city, such as the South Norwalk neighborhood and the Maritime Aquarium, and provided first- and last-mile connections to two Metro-North stations within the service zone.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
Case Study missing?
Start adding your own!
Register with your work email and create a new case study profile for your business.
Related Case Studies.
Case Study
Turning A Stadium Into A Smart Building
Honeywell created what it called the “intelligent system” for the National Stadium in Beijing, China, turning the venue for the opening and closing events at the 2008 Summer Olympics into a “smart building.” Designed by highly controversial artist Ai Weiwei, the “Bird’s Nest” remains one of the most impressive feats of stadium architecture in the world. The 250,000 square meter structure housed more than 100,000 athletes and spectators at a time. To accommodate such capacity, China turned to Honeywell’s EBI Integrated Building Management System to create an integrated “intelligent system” for improved building security, safety and energy efficiency.
.png)
Case Study
Smart Street Light Network (Copenhagen)
Key stakeholders are taking a comprehensive approach to rethinking smart city innovation. City leaders have collaborated through partnerships involving government, research institutions and solution providers. The Copenhagen Solutions Lab is one of the leading organizations at the forefront of this movement. By bringing together manufacturers with municipal buyers, the Copenhagen Solutions Lab has catalyzed the development and deployment of next-generation smart city innovations. Copenhagen is leveraging this unique approach to accelerate the implementation of smart city solutions. One of the primary focus areas is LED street lighting.
Case Study
Airport SCADA Systems Improve Service Levels
Modern airports are one of the busiest environments on Earth and rely on process automation equipment to ensure service operators achieve their KPIs. Increasingly airport SCADA systems are being used to control all aspects of the operation and associated facilities. This is because unplanned system downtime can cost dearly, both in terms of reduced revenues and the associated loss of customer satisfaction due to inevitable travel inconvenience and disruption.
Case Study
IoT-based Fleet Intelligence Innovation
Speed to market is precious for DRVR, a rapidly growing start-up company. With a business model dependent on reliable mobile data, managers were spending their lives trying to negotiate data roaming deals with mobile network operators in different countries. And, even then, service quality was a constant concern.
Case Study
Buoy Status Monitoring with LoRa
The Netherlands are well-known for their inland waterways, canals, sluices and of course port activities. The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure indicates that there are thousands of buoys and fixed items in and near water environments that would profit from IoT monitoring. One of the problems with buoys for example, is that they get hit by ships and the anchor cable breaks. Without connectivity, it takes quite some time to find out that something has happened with that buoy. Not to mention the costs of renting a boat to go to the buoy to fix it. Another important issue, is that there is no real-time monitoring of the buoys at this moment. Only by physically visiting the object on the water, one gains insight in its status.
